We’ve heard it before – the important role our thoughts play as we go about life. Our lives are merely a product of our thought life. I am frequently reminded when I follow and read some of the great bible teachers of our generation teach on this topic.
It’s mind renewal. It’s holding everything thought captive. It’s knowing that’s our thought life determines the course of our lives.

It’s simple. And when I personally have made a choice to set my mind on the things above – it works!

But we are human. And we have so much to distract us and are faced with so much choice when it comes to where we focus our attention. There is a battle for our attention and we desperately need a game plan when it comes to what we are thinking about.
I heard a great teaching from Robert Fergusuon (Hillsong) at a Sisterhood session that will forever be engrained in my soul. This is not my thought (disclaimer) but has helped me a lot as I’m learning to keep fixing my gaze upward.

This idea is simple…. Our thought life is determined by a few things.
When Samuel went to the house of Jesse, looking to anoint the next King Israel, we find a little gem of a verse that reveals this process.

When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the LORD’s anointed!” (‭1 Samuel‬ ‭16‬:‭6‬ NLT)

Samuel took one look and thought…… And here lies the lesson.

What we look at determines what we see.
What we see determines what we think.
What we think determines what we believe to be true.
What we believe to be true determines how we live.

The challenge therefore when it comes to our thought life has to begin with what we are looking at. I know for me – there is a constant fight over my eyes. What am I looking at? There is so much choice. That’s what the battle is. I need to conciously make a decision to guard what I’m looking at. I’ve learned that even glancing at something will have that image imprinted in my mind somewhere – and at any random moment can jump out of nowhere. I can’t erase what I’ve seen.

But I am in control of what I choose to do with that. The bible tells us:

To cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, (‭II Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭5‬ NKJV)

Bringing our thought life into line with the word of God is the challenge.
How do we discover life as God knows it? How do we know what God believes to be true?

We get to see what God thinks and perceives when we see what he says. And there lies the basic discipline of reading his word. If I want a God perspective on my life – then I need to find it in his word.

To look at what he says, see, think, believe and then in faith, trust that my life will look different.

I am so aware of the need to fix my eyes.

It’s my choice.

Eyes up.